Stalk Right There: Make a Salad!
Last night, as I was chopping broccoli florets for a stir fry, I remembered a recipe I’d seen in my copy of Dirt Candy, a vegetarian cook-comic book, for “Broccoli Carpaccio,” a salad made from broccoli stalks that have been sliced thin with a mandolin. The original recipe calls for red bird’s eye chili and Thai basil. I didn’t have either of those on hand, but I did have fennel seeds, cayenne and fresh cilantro. Rather than use them to make a paste, as the original recipe instructs, I incorporated them, along with minced ginger, lime juice and salt, in a simple dressing that I poured over the sliced stalks and cubed avocado. It was light and delicious– I’ll never discard those stalks again!
Stalk Salad
Adapted from Dirt Candy’s Broccoli Carpaccio
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh peeled ginger
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- 3 broccoli stalks, sliced with a mandolin or wide vegetable peeler
- 1 avocado, diced
- Sea salt to taste
Mix the cilantro, fennel, ginger, garlic, cayenne, olive oil and lime juice. In a medium bowl, toss the broccoli stalk slices with the avocado cubes. Pour the dressing over and toss. Salt to taste and enjoy!
